NPR's international team shares a glimpse of downtown Cairo, a place where unpretentious cafés and centuries-old architecture create a charming atmosphere. The area, known as Wust el-Balad, offers a look into the past with its historical buildings, teahouses, and the enduring connection found in its simple pleasures.
Greetings from downtown Cairo , where unpretentious cafés are part of centuries-old charmAya Batrawy/NPR Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.
Downtown Cairo, or Wust el-Balad as it's known locally, is a treasure trove of hidden gems. Imprinted on every high-ceilinged building, arched balcony and iconic roundabout are relics that feel like love letters from the past. Relics like the more than century-old Greek Club's veranda that overlooks a roundabout with a bronze statue of , who championed Egyptian economic independence from foreign influence. The neighborhood's old cinemas and teahouses still stand where Cairo's elites and British officers once sat.Wust el-Balad was designed when cars were still a luxury, and life moved more slowly. Only by walking its wide pedestrian streets can the scale and detail of its neoclassical, Art Deco and Baroque-inspired architecture be fully witnessed. Wust el-Balad's charm unfolds in layers, some of it discreet and tucked down side streets like the one in this picture I took on a visit this winter. Here, at this no-frills sheesha café, all are welcome. And it's here, on plastic chairs, without trending hashtags and filters, that connection and conversation remain timeless. It's here where downtown Cairo's truest treasure — pleasure — is unlocked.
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Greetings from downtown Cairo, where unpretentious cafés are part of centuries-old charmDowntown Cairo, or Wust el-Balad as it's known, is a trove of hidden gems. Imprinted on every high-ceilinged building, arched balcony and iconic roundabout are relics that feel like love letters from the past.
Read more »
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